A husband and wife in Mechanicsville have been charged with child abuse and committing a second-degree assault last February on a 10-year-old girl.

William T. Smith Jr., 27, and Brandi G. Smith, 30, both were released on personal recognizance last Thursday after their arrest through the investigation that court papers state commenced after bruises and a healed scrape were observed on the child’s face.

The girl said the injuries occurred accidentally when a box was tossed to her while unloading groceries and when she later dropped a box of dolls, court papers state, but the investigation found numerous other bruises on her body, and she alleged said during a later evaluation that she repeatedly had received “physical punishment” with a belt from both suspects.